Path 2

Path 2

Trash: NYC’s Latest Fashion Trend?

January 11, 2007

Throw out your “Stand Back 200 Feet” FDNY t-shirt and store anything that says I [HEART] New York, ’cause the Sanitation Department is the new city logo to be seen. According to an Associated Press article:

An unlikely top seller has emerged in a new line of official New York City apparel—not from the fire and police departments that have long enjoyed the spotlight, but rather from the agency that moves mountains of trash every day.

A fashionably grungy brown cap with the Sanitation Department’s light blue logo is the new must-have item—even among celebrities—since the city launched the products last year. The collection is part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s goal to profit from the city’s official landmarks and logos.

The scuffed hat is sold at Target stores nationwide. To rock the full “trash removal look” don one of the Sanitation Department’s funky t-shirts, available from The Official Online Shop of New York City. Popular styles are the “DSNY Dumps Like A Truck” in tan, and the DSNY “Clang Cans” in light grey.

Those who can’t part with a navy blue NYPD hoodie take heart. The article notes:

NYPD and FDNY gear are still selling strong, according to Lloyd Haymes, vice president of licensing for NYC Marketing.

But he said new apparel, like the gently frayed Sanitation cap and faded T-shirts with old-fashioned taxicabs across the chest, tap into a different consumer base that seems to be drawn to a more subtle, “authentic New York.”

“There’s a chance to make it this underground style brand, kind of like, ‘You don’t know how cool Sanitation is, but I do,”‘ Haymes said. “That’s popular right now —it’s just the right style at the right time.”

What city agency will be the hip emblem of the future? Garbage is a tough look to follow . . .